All schools must have an anti bullying policy and should
have a named person responsible for its implementation and
monitoring.
We need to recognise the distinction between bullying and other
types of conflict or aggressive behaviour. Bullying always involves
the misuse of power.
There are a number of steps you can take if you suspect that
your child is being bullied:
- Discuss the matter with your child, taking the matter very
seriously
- Reassure your child that it is right to talk about it, and that
it can be resolved
- Make a note of what your child says, and be ready to give
precise details of time, date etc
- Encourage your child to talk to his/her teacher
- Depending on the seriousness of the problem you may decide to
arrange an appointment to talk to his/her teacher/tutor (If
necessary, the school’s anti-bullying coordinator will be
informed)
- You may decide to request a copy of the school’s anti bullying
policy in advance of the meeting
- After telling the school, try to listen to their
suggestions positively and give any proposed solution time to
work
- Offer a lot of support to your child, but try not to take
desperate measures such as removing your child from school at this
difficult time. Remember, the problem can usually be resolved if
you work with the school.
If you have a persistent problem with bullying that the school
has not been able to resolve then you can contact the
Education Welfare Service.
If you are a parent of a child who has special educational needs
you may have specific concerns. You can contact
the Parent
Partnership Service for North Somerset or call the helpline
for parents on 01179 897 725.
For further information you can
download guide for parents or our
Anti-bullying Strategy and Guidance to Schools
2008-2010.
